Current medical image review stations present both an image section and a non-image section (such as an image report and/or a patient worksheet) to a user in a windows-type environment. In this environment, a user must first establish a focus in a window before interacting with the window. Once a window is under focus, commands from user interface devices are sent to the object, application, process, or program running in that window. To provide input into another window, the user must first change focus to the new window, usually by positioning a pointer over the other window and single-clicking a mouse button.
When using an image review station, a user frequently changes focus between image and non-image sections. For example, to enter a diagnosis based on a set of medical images, a user first establishes focus in the report section by positioning a pointer over the non-image section and single-clicking a mouse button. Then, the user positions the cursor in the appropriate field and enters the data. If the user needs to interact with the displayed images to form his diagnosis, he first changes focus to the image section and then manipulates the images. To enter more data into the report, the user re-establishes focus in the report section and enters the additional data. Because a user is frequently switching back and forth between the image and non-image sections during the normal course of interacting with the review station, the windows-type environment, which assumes that a user in focused at doing only one activity at a time, reduces the user""s productivity.
There is a need, therefore, to facilitate interaction with image and non-image sections displayed on an image review station to increase user productivity.
The present invention is defined by the following claims, and nothing in this section should be taken as a limitation on those claims.
By way of introduction, the preferred embodiments described below provide a method and system for facilitating interaction between image and non-image sections displayed on an image review station. With these preferred embodiments, a user can interact with image and non-image sections without changing focus between the sections, thereby allowing the user to be much more efficient in the use of the medical image review station.
In one presently preferred embodiment, an image review station processor determines which operation should be performed based on a position of a displayed pointer, regardless of which section is under focus. In another presently preferred embodiment, a user interface device is dedicated to either an image or non-image section such that input from the dedicated user interface device will be applied to the corresponding section regardless of which section is in focus. In a third presently preferred embodiment, the processor determines what operation will be performed based on the type of command received by a voice recognition user interface device, regardless of which section is under focus.
The preferred embodiments will now be described with reference to the attached drawings.